Survival of Campylobacter Jejuni in Aquatic Milieus

Abstract

This thesis is being archived as a Digitized Shelf Copy for campus access to current students and staff only. We currently cannot provide this open access without the author's permission. If you are the author of this work and desire to provide it open access or wish access removed please contact the Wahlstrom Library to discuss permission.Campylobacter jejuni has been isolated from a eutrophic pond and its occurrence in aquatic ecosystems may be attributed to prolonged survival. This study compared the relative survival of a clinical isolate and an environmental isolate of C. jejuni in aquatic milieus held at 4, 25, and 37 °C. Exposure of these isolates to aquatic stresses resulted in significant injuries as reflected by a dramatic drop of viable cell counts on standard selective media. Organisms in pond water kept at 25°C died within one day, whereas those in pond water sediment survived for up to 20 At 4 °C days, the organisms in sediment remained viable for up to 30 days. No viable organisms were detected after one day at 37°C. In seawater and sediment, however, the organisms did not survive at any of the measured temperatures for more than one day. C. jejuni survived longer when it was associated with algae or in the presence of metal ions such as magnesium, manganese, calcium, potassium, zinc and copper. The ability of C. jejuni to survive for longer times in sediment suggests that sediment may serve as a reservoir for this enteric pathogen